Find the best natural stone flooring types to lay in your home with our expert guide.
There are stone flooring types available for every interior style, from elegant marble and sophisticated slate to hardwearing limestone and charming sandstone.
Of course, natural stone floors are only one type of the countless flooring ideas which you can incorporate into your home, but they are not to be overlooked. As beautiful as they are durable, the right stone floor will be a valuable addition to your interior scheme.
With a reputation for being naturally hardwearing, all stone flooring types are most commonly seen as kitchen flooring ideas or modern hallway flooring ideas. However, stone flooring can work in most rooms of the home. In a living room for example, a marble stone floor would provide instant luxury, while a flagstone floor in a bedroom – paired with a cozy rug, of course – would embrace a more rustic look.
Stone floors are resistant to moisture and humidity, so will not warp, unlike wood, making them ideal for bathrooms too.
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT STONE FLOORING TYPES?
There are lots of different stone flooring types, including: marble, limestone, sandstone and granite. However, the natural stone floor you choose will depend on the room in which you are laying it and the look you want to achieve.
Both flagstones and limestone are perfect for the kitchen as they are highly durable, while marble is perfect for creating a more luxurious look in the bathroom.
Choosing a stone floor is a big commitment. Requiring significant work to prepare and lay the floor, it is important you are 100 per cent confident in your choice. ‘Purchasing a stone floor is an investment for the home and one that takes careful consideration,’ advises Joshua Fernandez co-founder of Quorn Stone(opens in new tab). ‘Our advice is to always go neutral in your chosen floor covering and instead inject color through paint colors and accessories. A lick of paint is far easier to change in years to come than a different floor’.
LIMESTONE: VERSATILE AND POPULAR FOR ALL ROOMS
Loved for its durability and its rustic appearance, limestone really comes into its own in high-traffic rooms like kitchens or hallways. Limestone is available in a range of natural colors, from bright white, which is perfect for pairing with other traditional white kitchen ideas, to rich coal-black shades, which will disguise stains, spills or dirt and is ideal for busy family homes.
As a natural stone, each piece of limestone is unique, characterized by its individual veining and striations which create a visual interest that is perfect for complementing your interior scheme. Limestone comes in a range of textures – from smooth to coarse.
Bear in mind that limestone comes in different densities – with higher density limestone being better at stain resistance and more durable.
SLATE: TO ADD INSTANT CHARACTER
Oozing beautiful simplicity with a clefted effect that draws the eye, slate is a excellent choice that is particularly well paired with other country kitchen ideas.
Low maintenance and easy to clean, slate is also highly durable and water resistant making it a great choice for the central rooms of the home.
One thing to consider with slate, however, is whether the tiles are calibrated or uncalibrated. Uncalibrated slate has not been leveled and so requires ‘bedding up’ on installation to ensure a level finish. Therefore it is essential that it is fitted by a professional. On the other hand, calibrated tiles have been leveled so can be laid flat and thus create a more uniform and contemporary look.
If you are considering adding underfloor heating to counteract the chill that sometimes comes with stone floors, then slate is a great option as it is a brilliant conductor of heat.
MARBLE: FOR A LUXE LOOK
Marble is the material of choice for classical monuments and the most lavish buildings, and so is perfect for creating a luxury look.
Found in many colors and patterns, marble has a natural translucent glow and can be honed – where the stone is ground to leave a hardwearing matt surface – or polished to a gorgeous, glass-like finish – which while looking stunning can be a little slippy if wet.
This luxury look comes with a high price tag – consider using marble to add wow-factor to your master bathroom ideas, elevating the look even further by continuing the marble on the walls for a spa-like look that will ooze sophistication.
Marble is extremely porous, so ensure it’s thoroughly sealed to avoid stains and discoloring. It’s not a great choice for a kitchen – it’s easily damaged by acidic foods and liquids so you would be better substituting it for a marble lookalike in porcelain.
GRANITE: THE MOST DURABLE STONE FLOOR
Hallways, kitchens and boot-rooms all require a flooring that is highly durable. Granite, like this flooring from Original Style(opens in new tab), is one of the strongest stone flooring types and highly resistant to spills, scratches and stains, making it perfect for these high-traffic rooms.
‘If you’re looking for a hardwearing option for a high traffic room of the house then opt for stone with a smooth closed surface that will not collect dirt. ‘Opt for stone with a smooth closed surface that will not collect dirt.
However, durable stone flooring types can also be beautiful – as is the case with granite, where its depth of color and varying textures add elegance to any space.
CAN YOU HAVE RADIANT HEATING WITH A STONE FLOOR?
Yes, you can have radiant heating with stone floors. ‘Stone is a brilliant conductor and is therefore ideally suited to underfloor heating. There is nothing nicer than coming down to a warm stone kitchen floor on a cold winter’s morning!’ recommends Richard Moore.
‘Natural stone tiles tend to be thicker, which will take a little longer to heat up, but that means they will retain their temperature for longer thanks to their natural density and thermal conductivity.’
Partial Source: https://www.homesandgardens.com/
Creating a hearth is a great way to protect your floors and add decoration to your home!
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